This invention relates generally to the field of automatic car starters, and more particularly to the field whereby a car is started from a remote location without the use of electrical wires or other mechanical connecting means.
Automatic remote car starters are well known in the art. Many improvements have been made on the initial remote car starters and the art describes various safety mechanisms and fail-safe devices for insuring that the car will either start automatically or that the starter will cease its action upon sensing that there is trouble in starting the engine. Most of the inventions described in the prior art involved remote car starters which were activated by means of a switch inside the house. These switches were mechanically connected to the car engine and starting device by means of electrical wiring. An improvement upon this particular type of starting method involved a radio transmitter and receiver. Such a patent was described by Phairr in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,454. Another remote means involving a radio receiver in combination with the remote transmitter was described in the 1983 patent issued to Nespor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,059.
Most of the prior art involving automatic remote car starters utilized an expensive radio transmitter and receiver. While the receiver/transmitter mode of communicating the signal to the automobile was effective, it was also quite expensive. Although electrical wires were not needed, the device was limited in range to the range of the radio transmitter and receiver.
It is an object of this invention to provide an automatic remote car starter which is operated by means of the standard telephone. It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic remote car starter which may be started at any distance from the automobile provided that a telephone is available. It is still a further object of this invention to provide an automatic remote car starter which has a number of fail-safe devices and convenience features for use by the owner of an automobile with such a device installed therein. Further objects of this invention will become obvious upon reading the following Specification.